Rotary internal-combustion engine



' May 4', 1926.

' 1,583,560 J. K. MORRIS I ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec.22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN T02 JAMES KMoems WM Q A TTOENE Y5 May4, I926. 1,583,560

J. K. MORRIS ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 22 1924 2sjnets-sneez' 2 29 4 L a/ 0, 36 a 4o Z4 2 a I 1 I I /9 27 7 36 c Q I 4 vr r m IINVENT'OR. I V JAMES K. Maze/5 BY Q7 v ATTDRNEYS Patented May .4,1926.

UNITED STATES 1,583,560 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES K. MORRIS, OF MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA.

ROTA RY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed December 22, 1924. Serial no. 757,514.

My invention relates to and has for its purpose the'provisionpf a rotaryinternal combustion engine having the following advantages: simplicityin construction; veconomy in operation; absence of vibration; maximumand uniform power a low speeds; super-compression of thecombustible'f-uel by the engine and prior to its entrance to the firingcylinders; and a motor-capable of effective and easy lubrication.

It is also a purpose of'my invention to provide an engine including aplurality of piston and cylinder units in which the cylin ders arerotatable about a fixed axis while the istons are pivoted and rotatableabout anot er fixed axis eccentric with respect to the first axis,whereby combustible fuel supplied to and ignited in the cylinderswillexert a force on the pistonwhich is tangential with respect to thesecond axis, thereby effecting bodily rotation of the piston andcylinder units.

I will describe only one form of internal combustion engine embodying myinvention, and then will point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the, accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view showing in vertical section one form of internalcombustion engine, embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional iew taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectionalvi'ew taken on the line'3'3-of Figure Figure 4 is a view illustrating diagrammatically the parts ofthe engine shown in the preceding views.

Referring specifically to the drawings, in which similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts in each ,ofthe views, my invention,'in1ts present embodiment,comprises an axle 1'5 supported in elevatedposition by spaced standards 16 and suitably locked against rotation inthe standards so as to remain stationary during the operation of theengine. Preferably formed integral with -which durin the valve b'oc yare adapted to-register with the axle and disposed at a point betweenthe standards is a valve body V which is of circular form in crosssection and associated with the axle so that its longitudinal axis iseccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the axle in themanner-clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. This valve body isprovided with an intake passage 17 having one end in communication witha passage 18 formed in the axle .15, its opposite end communicating withthe periphery of the valve body as clearly shown iii Figure 1. Thepassage 18 1s adapted to be placed in communication with a source offuel supply, suclr as a carbureter, (not shown), for the purpose ofsupplying to the intake passage combustible fuel in a gaseous form. Thevalve body -V is also provided with a delivery passage 19- which, asclearly shown in Figure 1, extends diagonally of the valve body with itsopposite ends com' 'municating with the periphery of the body atsubstantially diametrically opposite points.

Rotatable on the exile 15 between the standards 16 is a fly wheel unitconsisting in the present instance of disks 20 and 211ming hubs 22 attheir centersto receive bearings 23 to support the disks for rotationalmovement on the axle. These disks 20l-and 21 are rigidly secured to eachother at circumferentially spaced intervals by means of rods2-t havingshouldered ends 25 projecting through suitable openings formed. in thedisks and threaded to receive nuts 26. In the present instance, I haveshown four such rods 24, and pivotally mounted upon each red are a pairof pistons 27 and .28, each piston consisting of a head 27 :vtubularbody 27" or 28 provided with a bearing 27 or 28 rotatably mounted on therod 21. These pistons 27 and 28 are mounted to work in a pair ofcylinders 29 and 30, respectively, having concave inner ends to conformto the curvature of the periphery of the valve body V so as to havesliding contact therewith. The cylinders are rigidly connected to eachother by a web 31 which is likewise curved so as to present nointerference to the rotation of the cylinders on thevalve body.

' As clearly. shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inner ends of the cylindersof each pair are provided. with ports 32 and 33, respectively rotation.of, the cylinders on or 28 and the ends of the delivery passage 19, theport 33 being also adapted to register with the discharge end of theintake passage 17.

In the present instance, I have shown four pistons 27 and four cylinders29 arranged apart, and each piston and the cone spondlng cylinderconstituting a tiring-pr working piston and cylinder unit in which theexplosion of the combustible fuel is adapted to occur. To this end, eachcylinder 29 is providedwith a spark plug 3-1- disposed adjacent theintake port 3". and to which current is'adapted to be supplied in anysuitable manner (not shown), so as to etl'ect ignition of the fuel atthe proper 1nstantduring the operation of the engine. I'I'ich cylinder29 is also provided with an exhaust pdrt 35 adapted to be uncovered whenthe piston is in its outermost position to allow the exhaust of burntgases from the cylinder, as will be understood.

For precompressing the combustible fuel supplied to the cylinders 29 andto thus greatly increase the horse power of the engine, I have providedthe pistons 28 and the cylinders 30, each piston and cylinderconstituting a fuel compressing unit and there being one unit for eachof the firing piston and cylinder units. It will, of course, beunderstood that any number of firing piston and cylinder units may beprovided or any number of fuel compressing units, and all withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

To prevent the intake and delivery passages 17 and 19, respectively,.from being uncovered during rotation of the cylinders .29 and 30 aboutthe valve body V, I have provided bridge plates36 which as shown inFigures 2 and 3, have their edges extended beneath recessed portions 37of the cylinders so as to span the spaces between the cylinders, and tothus cover the passages when the ports 32 and 33 are not in registrationtherewith.

To prevent radial movement of thecylinders 29 and 30 which are subjectedto the action of centrifugal force during the operation of the engine, Ihave provided urging elements each of which is responsive to the actionof centrifugal force to exert an inward pressure upon the cylinders,such pressure increasing in direct proportion tov any increase in thecentrifugal force. Each urging element comprisesa lever 38 fulcrumed onan annulus 39 at the point indicated at 40 and provided with a short armwhich bears against the corresponding web 31 of any pair of cylinders 29and 30. The long arm of the lever is provided with a weight 41adjustable thereon and operating in conjunction with a spring 42 tonormally urge the lever about its pivot to exert inward pressureupon theshort arm. From this construction it will be readily seen that dur- 1noperation of the engine the weight 41 will be thrown outwardly under theaction of centrifugal force to set upa pressure against the web whichincreases as the rotational speed of the engine increases. In thepresent instance, 1 have shown one urging element for each pair ofcylinders, and all of the levers ot' these elements are mounted upon theannulus 39.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Assuming that rotut ion ofthe flywheel disks 20 and 21 has been initiated. and the parts of theengine are in the positions shown in Figure l. a charge of vaporizedfuel is drawn into the lower compression cylinder fit) under the outwardmovement of the piston 2 At this instant the port 33 of such cylinder isin registration with the discharge end of the passagc 17 so t'hat fnclfrom the passage 18 is free to be drawn into the cylinder. As this movesupwardly in its rotation, the piston moves upwardly of the cylinder byvirtue of the fact that its path of rotation is cccentric with respectto-thc axis-of the valve body ,Y. ,as will be clearly understood byreference to Figure 4, wherein Y designates the axle of the valve body.15 the axis of the axle, L the longitudinal axes of the piston andcylinder units, and the path of rotation of the bars 2 1- by the circle24. "hcn the above referred to cylinder has traveled 180 in a clockwisedirection, as when viewed in Figure i, the "piston is moved into itsinn'eriiiost extreme position, as illustrated in Figure 1. and under themovement of such piston the fuel charge is compressed. lpon reachingthis 180" position, the port 33 registers with the upper end of thedelivery passage 19 so that the compressed charge of fuel dischargesinto the delivery passage for immediate delivery to one of the cylinders29 oi the tiring, units. As the cylinder 30 reaches the 1H) position,the corresponding tiring cylinder 21) occupies what may be termed the 1)position wherein its port 32 is in registration with the lower end ofthe passage 19 to admit the compressed fuel to the cylinder. At thisinstant. the corresponding piston 27 ot the cylinder 2!) has reached itsoutermost extreme position and is moving inwardly so as to close theexhaust port 25.") and to ultimately furthcrcompress the fuel charge.The closing of the exhaust port 35 may occur immediately after openingof the intake port 32 so that the compressed fuel can be utilized toscavenge the cylindcr'of burnt gases. It will. of course, be understoodthat the inward movement of the pistonQT is a result of the eccentricmounting thereof with respcctto the mounting of the cylinderas has beendescribet'l in connection with the movement of the pistons 28.Consequently, when the piston has reached the 180 posilit) tion or itsuppermost position, it is moved to its innermost extreme position toeffect further compression of the-fuel charge to a relatively highdegree. Immediately thereafter or immediately aft-er the piston andcylinder have passed upper dead center, the respective spark plugfunctions to ignite the highly compressed lnel; charge.

By reference to Figure 4, it will be clear that with the piston a-ndcylinder unit at upper dead center,- the centers 24,\' and 15 arevertically alined, but that as soon as the unit passes to the right fromdeadcenter, the relation of the centers 24, and 15, change to set up alever arm between the centers Y and 15 against which acts the forceofthe expanding fuel. However, as the center Y is stationary in thesense that it will not respond to the force of the expanding fuel thuscausing the hitter to react on the piston and thereby set up a forcetangent to the.

' axis 15 which results in driving the unit in the circular 'path 24. Asthe unit pro gresses in a clockwise direction, the length of the-leverarm increases, reaching'a maximum at the position of the unit where thegreatest. rotational force is exerted on the. unit. and diminishing fromthis point to the 180 position. at which the lever arm no longer exists.At this 180 position or lower dead center, a new charge of fuel isforced into the cylinder and the burnt gases simultaneously exhaust.

In actual operation the firing of each cylinder occurs once in everyrevolution of the unit, and irrespective of the speed ot rota tion, eachcharge of fuel is precompressed in the corresponding cylinder 30 andfurther compressed in the cylinder 29. to substantially thesamemaximum'degree, whereby the power impulses at low speeds will beeli'ective to propel the engine, irrespective of the load imposedthereon.

Although I have here described and shown only one form of rotaryinternal combustion engine embodying my invention, it is to be.understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereinwithout. departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An engine comprising a plurality of piston and cylinder units. inwhich the cylinders of all of the units are rotatable about a tixed axisand the pistons of all of the units are pivoted and rotatable aboutanother fixed axis eccentric to the first fixed axis whereby combustiblefuel supplied to and ignited in the cylinders will exert a force on thepistons which is tangential to the second axis, there- -by .ettectingbodily rotation of thepiston and cylinder cylinder units mountedto'rotateabout the same axes as the'tirst mentioned piston and 7cylinder units, thereby effecting compression units, fuel compressingpiston and.

cylinder units having the pistons thereof pivoted on the flywheel androtatable therewith and concentrically of the axle, and the cylindersslidably secured to the valve body to rotate about. the latter as acenter, ports in the cylinders which during rotation of the latter areadapted to successively register with the delivery passage, and meansoperable rotation, of the piston and cylinder units for supplyingcombustible fuel under pressure to the delivery passage.

' 3. An engine comprising an axle, a valve body fixed eccentrically tothe axle and having an intake passage and a delivery passage, a.flywheel 'fixed'concentrically to the axle, firingpiston and cylinderunits having the pistons thereof pivoted on the flywheel and rotatabletherewith and concentricallyot' the axle, and the cylinders slidablysecured to the valve body to rotate about the latter as a center, portsin the cylinders which" during rotation of the latter are adapted tosuccessively register with the delivery passage, fuel compressing pistonand cylinder units having the pistons thereof pivoted on the flywheeland rotatable therewith and concentrically of the axle and the cylindersslidably secured to the valve body to rotate about the latter as acenter; ports in the cylinders which during rotation of the latter areadapted to successively register with the intake and delivery passages.

4. An engine as embodied in claim 2 wherein means is provided formaintaining the cylinders in sliding engagement with the valve bodyagainst the action of centrifugal force.

5. An engine as embodied in claim wherein means is provided formaintaining the cylinders of all of the units-in sliding contact withthe valve body against the action of centrifugal force.

(3. An engine as embodied in claim 2 wherein means are provided forurging the cylinders into engagement with the valve body, said meansbeing-responsive to increase their urging action as the centrifugalforce increases.

7. An engine as embodied in claim 2 wherein means are provided forurging the cylinders intoengagement with the valve body. said meanscomprising levers'having weighted ends responsive to the centrifugalforce to move the other ends of the levers against the cylinders.

8. An engine as embodied in claim 2 force to move the other ends whereinmeans are provided for urging the cylinders into engagement with thevalve loody, said means comprising levers having weighted endsresponsive to the centrifugal of the levers against the cylinders, andsprings normally urging the weighted ends of the levers outwardly.

S). An engine as embodied in claim 2 wherein bridge plates extendbetween the cylinders to maintain the intake and dclivery passagesclosed when the latter are uncovered by the cylinders.

10. An engine comprising a plurality of rotatable piston and a pluralityof rotatable piston and cylinder compressing units, and means operableby rotation of all of the units for supplying fuel to the cylinders ofthe coi'npressing units where it is compressed and discharged'into thecylinders of the firing unitsfor'subsequent. ignition,-all in apredetermined sequence to effect continuous rotationof all of the units.

J AMES K. MORRIS.

cylinder tiring units,

